Two Bodies, One Mind
by krbrooks
Summary: Kassandra and Nicole are orphaned telepathic twins, trying to live normal lives. After being rescued from HYDRA by SHIELD, the girls are plunged into intense training and work in order to give themselves the chance to help others like them. However, their abilities come with unfortunate side effects and they soon discover they may just tear each other apart from the inside.
1. Chapter 1 - Nicole POV

**Nicole**

The ball was big. And yellow. With an eye. And another eye. And a smile. And it hit me in the face. Then it was gone.

When I looked up from my place in the grass, I saw my twin sister, Kassandra, running away with the ball; our adopted father, Jason, chasing her, with our dog, Nova, scratching at their knees. The spotted yellow orb bounced back and forth between, hit out of Kassandra's hands by Jason and nudged between his legs by Nova in a messy pattern of swift movements.

I laughed at the ridiculous display, pulling myself to my feet and absent-mindedly rubbing my faintly stinging nose. My jeans were covered with rips and grass stains, and my black hoodie was covered with dry leaves and pine needles, all of which I ignored with the exception of a dry brown leaf caught in the rat's nest that was my hair. I quickly yanked it away and crushed it between my fingertips, still looking at Kassandra. She was my mirror, identical in every way from our electric blue eyes to our interest in astronomy to our torn jeans and dirty hoodies.

Yes, twins are a rare form of best friends and middle-school-drama-waiting-to-happen thrown in a blender. But the situation gets even more complicated when you mix in an ESP bonus.

Yeah, that might need a little explaining.

Our story begins on December 24th, 2004 when Kassandra and I were born. Our mom was poor, sick and quite young, so sadly, several hours after we were born, she passed away. Our Aunt, a wealthy doctor, was there to take care of her in our house, and took us in among her other six young kids… For like a week. It became too much for her to handle, so she had to put us in a nearly empty _orphanage_ for girls, where we grew up to finally understand the world at seven years old. The housekeeper, Ezra, treated us like her own and called us "the miracle children" after hearing our story.

When it came to friends our age, however… Well, Kassandra was really all I got. You'd think that the other eight girls there would appreciate Ezra and the cozy little house a bit more after the things they've been through, and man, they had been through a lot. But they didn't respect any of it, including Kassandra and I, so we knew it was best to keep our distance.

Because of their bratty attitudes, Kassandra and I ended up having an entire empty room to ourselves. We didn't take advantage of the other space for comfort or storage. In fact, you'd think the way that the two of us kept ourselves so tightly compact in a far corner of the room that the orphanage was overflowing with invisible kids. Instead, we used the space for games; hopping from bunk bed to bunk bed, creating jungle gyms out of old sweaters and suitcases hiding in the storage closet, and the best part of it all was Christmas Eve: we would decorate the entire room with whatever we could find, singing happy birthday all night long and sneaking into the kitchen to make birthday cupcakes. However, it was on Christmas Morning of our eighth birthday that changed everything.

We were both tucked in our beds, exhausted from the night before but refusing to sleep, knowing that Ezra was making pancakes for breakfast, served with presents chosen specially for each kid in the orphanage. Kassandra was reading quietly, and I was sitting slack jawed, staring at the TV where the cooking channel was playing and I didn't want to move to change the channel. I was in the perfect state of laziness and comfort when I heard Kassandra say, "EW!" Suddenly, a picture of a brain flashed into my head. Probably because the chefs on the show were being forced to cook with a cow's brain. (Yuck!) Either way, Kassandra's ccomment had me intrigued, as well as agitated because I had to move my face to respond.

"What's ew?" I asked, my eyes still glued to the screen.

"I didn't say anything."

"Okay…."

…

"OH MY GOSH!" I saw the brain again.

"What?" I asked again.

"I didn't say anything!" Kassandra's head leaned over the side of the bed, looking at me with an irritated expression.

I reluctantly rolled off the bed, leaning against the wood bedframe and looked at her. "I heard you say oh my gosh," I said. "You were talking about a brain or something…"

"Well, I didn't say anything, I just…." Kassandra's face filled with worry. "I - I - I just thought it."

I frowned. She seemed to be making a big deal out of nothing.

"Wait, you saw a brain!" Kassandra exclaimed, grabbing her book. She held up a page, and there it was…. The exact same brain I saw in my head.

That's disgusting… I thought to myself, then shook my head.

"I know!" She said, putting down her book.

"Wait, what did I say?" I asked, my heartbeat thumping in my chest.

"You said it's disgusting…." Kassandra's voice trailed off. "You didn't say it, did you? You just thought it."

"Hold on a second, what number am I thinking of?" I thought, placing a number in my head. 51, 769.

"Fifty-one thousand, seven hundred sixty nine!" Kassandra shouted. "What food am I thinking of?" She paused. I swore I could hear her say "Cherry pie!"

"Cherry pie?" I guessed, shifting my weight away from the bed.

"Yes…."

I took a deep breath. _Can you hear me?_

 _...Yes._

 _What are we, Nicole?_

 _I don't know._

A couple years after realizing our telepathic connection,we were adopted by a 27 year old man named Jason, who lived at an RV resort all year round. We didn't dare tell him about our connection. While he was welcoming, kind and sympathetic when he needed to be, we needed to make sure we could trust him, keeping our abilities in our head where only we could see. The campground quickly became home, despite the RV we lived in being quite small.

Jason decided we needed to find a house in the city so we could go to school. So we packed up, took the trailer to storage, and bought a nice house with two floors and a nearby school. I took a room in the basement, mainly because Kassandra and I were forced to share everything, even our thoughts, so this would be a time where the connect was lost. I put a three foot long and three foot wide box made with police tape in front of the door, because that's where the connection started. The walls helped the disconnection, and I finally had my own life.

We loved hanging out with Jason. He knew things, smart things, and he used them in the best way. He knew that people do things for a reaction, the same way a musician performs for and audience, and if you don't react then they stop the performance. That helped me get through my first year at school. He was more of a big brother than a father, but he was the best big brother I ever had.

And the games… Kassandra and I, despite being eleven, were just a few seven year olds in a bare room. We poured paint cans and climbed trees and made games. And once Jason added a smiling yellow ball to the mix, things managed to get even more crazy when we created a game called Smile Ball. All you really have to do is steal the ball and keep it in your possession as long as you can. You're allowed tackling, jumping, but no punching or kicking, cause that gets rough. We loved to play it at night. Sometimes Nova would play with us, jumping on people and crashing into the ball.

Nova is absolutely sweet. She has the build and shape of a husky, but the color of a black lab. One of her eyes is a golden yellow, and the other is icy blue. We love her so much, and she seems more human than dog. She shows more emotion than most dogs, and when we're feeling sad, she'll curl up on our laps or sit on our foot, leaning on us. It's so awesome having a friend like that.

And that's pretty much our story up until now, where we're playing smile ball in our backyard.


	2. Chapter 2 - Nicole POV

I collapsed on the ground next to Kassandra, sinking into the green grass. The lawn felt like a memory foam mattress beneath me, soft and fresh and sticky all at once. The air was quiet and cool in my lungs, and the yard was perfectly illuminated with the gold street lamps standing tall in the alleyway like soldiers guarding the invisible borders of our house. Things couldn't have been better. It felt like paradise - just me, Kassandra, Jason and Nova in a safe, homey place. We finally have someone we know that we are safe with, an amazing big brother who we could trust, friends at school that we could actually talk to and we are in our perfect, homey place with each other, me and my best friend.

But I wasn't thinking about our perfect little world then.

I was gasping for air, unable to control my laughter as Nova crawled over Kassandra's stomach, nosing the ball out of her arms and over her head. Leaving faint red paw shaped prints on her cheek, the little shadow leaped off of Kassandra and onto the green grass, chasing the ball and nudging it around the lawn.

We nestled into the grass, weak with laughter, Jason smiling on Kassandra's other side. The sky was clear, bright with sparkling stars and a full moon, casting glowing silver light on our faces as we stared into the universe.

I turned to see Nova rolling the ball towards us. She looked up excitedly at my sudden movement, then crawled across my stomach, settling tiredly between me and Kassandra. I looked up at the moon, gently stroking Nova's silky fur. I closed my eyes, feeling Nova's stomach rise and fall beneath my hand as her lungs settled into the rhythm of sleep, listening to Kassandra's tired breaths fall into sync with mine, and knowing that Jason was still watching.

Taking in one final, peaceful breath, I opened my eyes.

Jason was gone. So was Nova.

But all I could do was stare at the millions of red, heart shaped balloons materializing from the ground and drifting into the stars.

 **Thanks for reading! ;)**

 **PS: in upcoming chapters you will see the appearance of Lucy, my OC, AKA Skye's sister. I love this character and use her in everything, and she is basically the brave, awesome, powerful person that I could never be.**

 **PPS: If you guys happen to enjoy Lucy, please let me know by leaving a review. Since this takes place in season two between episode five and episode six, she still has a bit of a story to tell when it comes to the Inhumans. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3 - Kassandra's POV

**Hey anybody who cares enough to read this! Just want to put this out there: since I've already written a good percentage of the story and I only have to go back and briefly (or intensely, depending on the quality of the chapter) edit those chapters, I'm going to try and publish 1-2 chapters a day. I may slow down a bit near the end of the story, simply because I haven't written the ending yet, but I have a pretty solid plan, so we'll see when we get there.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy! :)**

" _Wake up! Wake up Kassandra!"_ My sister's voice bounced around in my brain. I was up and alert in an instant, searching for a sign of danger. Thankfully, all I saw was Nicole, staring expectantly at the ground. I opened my mouth to speak, then let it fall open wide as a red heart-shaped balloon inflated out of thin air, rising into the sky out of sight.

Another one materialized at my feet, causing me to stumble backwards into a tree behind me with my hands behind my back open to brace my fall. I felt the rough bark, sticky with sap, and then a hot white light beneath my fingers. I whipped around, looking for the heat source, and instead of seeing the tall oak tree, I saw a blinding gold structure of flickering fireflies, scattering in the air. I stared, wide eyed, as they drifted out of their invisible walls towards Nicole, melting and fading into her skin the moment they touched her.

Hypnotized, Nicole reached down towards the lawn, grazing the grass with her fingertips. Instantly, the green turned gold, lighting up and scattering towards me. I felt my skin absorb the flecks of pixie dust, feeling lighter than ever. I laughed, a choking, smiling noise caught in my throat. I heard Nicole laughing with the same awkward, happy noise.

We watched the lights drift into the sky, surrounded by the balloons and stars, lighting up the black, silent night.

" _Kassandra_ ," Nicole sang in my head. " _Do you hear that_?"

I did. The wail of a siren. It grew louder and louder, piercing my ears. I saw the flashing of blue and red lights travelling down the alley. I watched the lights still drifting from the ground burn out, the balloons scatter and break into a million pieces, red raining down on us, only to evaporate before it hit the ground.

A black and white police car, lights flashing red and blue, then black and white, sped towards us, then the world was dark.


	4. Chapter 4 - Nicole's POV

I jerked awake, my hair soaked in sweat and my heart beating a mile a minute. I could hear Kassandra panting beside me, and Nova grumbling between us.

"It's okay, Nova," I murmured, stroking her head. "We just had a bad dream."

The thud of an axe a few feet behind me caused me to jump, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Sorry girls," Jason said. He stood by the far fence, resting the freshly chopped wood against the muddy brown wood planks. "I'm going to get a fire started, if you want to go get the fire pit and bring it over here."

"Okay." We said, our voices harmonizing perfectly.

Our backyard is quite big. Jason had to tear down the fence that separates the backyard from the alley to make a new one because our other one was busted up after a freak lightning storm. There was a short patio connected to the house where our picnic table and barbeque rested, with a wood railing built around the whole perimeter of the porch. A few short steps along the side of the house led down to the lawn, and in front of those steps was our treasured, overused slightly rusted fire pit.

We dragged the metal fire pit from it's place in front of the steps, around the few trees scattered around the yard and into the open space, then ran and got some newspaper and our barbeque lighter. I loved campfires. We always had them at the resort, so it feels like a little piece of home.

We watched as Jason tossed in the last strips of fresh wood, tear away some scrap newspaper and press the lighter to the paper.

Just as Jason was about to pull the trigger, I heard the crunch of rocks coming from the alley.

"What was that?" I asked, looking out into the road scattered with rocks. Nova growled next to me.

" _Nicole,_ " Kassandra said sternly. " _Grab Nova._ "

I knelt down obediently, my hand tight around Nova's collar.

The crunch of rocks was even closer.

" _Get over here Kassandra."_ I felt her warmth radiating through her hoodie as she stood beside me, holding her breath just as long as me. All three of us held still, waiting for the next movement.

A rock went flying over the fence, crashing into Jason's forehead. He stumbled backwards into the deck, the axe slipping from his hands.

"Jason," I gasped.

I went still, watching as dark figures ran out from the shadows, each with a small gun raised towards us. Three were running toward the porch, towards us, one bolting for Jason. Each of them were wearing thick black vests, black protective helmets and dark clothing that made them impossible to see. I grasped for Kassandra, choking on air, my heart frozen in my chest. _They're here for us._

The three men shoved us to our knees with heavily gloved and their guns aimed at our backs, holding us as still as stone. I began to tremble, holding Nova tight to my chest, clutching Kassandra's black sweater. _Help. Someone help us, please._

My eyes flickered to Jason, looking just as terrified as the two of us. I felt my entire body ache seeing him like that, aching out of fear for him -

 _Jason is going to die._

As scared as he appeared, Jason shook his head, trying to regain his balance, to rid his head of any doubt or fear, then tightened his grip on the axe, raising it above his head. One of the men stomped toward him, raising his gun.

I felt my body go numb, my vision instantly blur and a high pitched screaming echoing from somewhere deep within me. _Jason's going to die._

Jason swung his axe toward the man.

 _He's going to die._

The man ducked easily underneath it, raised his gun -

I closed my eyes so I wouldn't seem him fall.

All at once, my senses came back together; I saw Jason's lifeless image engraved in the back of my eyes, his blood staining my skin, heard Kassandra sobbing, trying to breathe but finding no air, I heard the gunshot echoing in both of our heads, replaying over and over again, until I finally opened my mouth.

"NO, Jason, NO!" I screamed, tears spilling over my cheeks. I gasped for air. "WAKE UP!"

I felt my body go weak, and fur slip from my arms. Nova bounded forward, her collar slipping from my fingers as she threw herself towards the man with his gun spinning towards us, no… Towards her. I pushed off my knees, bolting for the jet black dog, dropping to my knees at the last second and scooping Nova up into my arms. She wiggled and thrashed, my sweaty palms continuing to slip on her fur, but I refused to let go. I let out another shuddering sob, and just as she was about to wiggle free, Kassandra was there beside me, hands grasping fur and fabric.

"Nova, please," I sobbed, holding her to my chest tightly. "Please don't, I don't want you to get hurt. Please, Nova, STOP!"

Nova continued to fight, growls and howling drowned out by the ringing in my ears, but her force was gentler.

The man raised his gun, his finger tightening on the trigger. The figures behind us gripped our shoulders tightly, which was unnecessary. I was too afraid to move. Gasping for air, I kept one hand underneath Nova, one hand on her back, letting her legs wave through the air. There was no doubt in my mind that if the man tried to shoot Nova, Kassandra and I would die with her if we refused to get out of the way. But I wasn't going to lose her too.

" _Nicole_ ," Kassandra hummed inside my head. " _We have to run! Nicole!"_

My head pounded, my heart hammering in my chest. I felt tired, I wanted this nightmare to be over, and I felt my arms go limp. I felt the sound of the gun shot, then Kassandra's hand on my elbow and emptiness in my arms. I opened my eyes. Nova was bolting out of the man's aim and Kassandra was standing next to me, trying to tug me away.

The man behind me shoved me to my knees, dragging me away from Kassandra. As she slipped away from the soldier's grasp, she was met by the third man, shoving her back to her knees and blocking my view of her.

The man in front of us kicked Nova onto her side, loading his gun one last time. As Nova pulled herself to her feet, growling, ready to attack him, Kassandra yelled for her, knowing I couldn't. She didn't listen.

He collapsed. I couldn't see what had hurt him, but he had been knocked out cold by whatever it was. "It", a dark shadow, collided into Nova, knocking her out of the way as the gun went off. The bullet hit the man holding me on his right shin, and he collapsed, screaming.

I looked over at Kassandra, who was till stood being held back by one man. The woman lying on the ground, gripping Nova tightly, had a strange shaped gun raised, and by the look of concentration on her face I could tell she had shot the third soldier. She got to her feet, bolting over to me. I stared past her at Kassandra, still wrestling with the second.

As the woman placed the dog into my arms, I felt something beneath my foot. I shrieked, knowing what it was, and collapsed in the woman's arms, afraid to look down and see Jason's face beneath me.

"It's okay," The woman soothed, holding me gently. She turned carefully towards Kassandra, raising her gun above her head. With an effortless toss, she threw it across the yard, hitting the man in the head. He looked up from restraining Kassandra, reaching into his holster for his gun. Before he could even aim, another shadow charged out of nowhere, crashing into the man, right through the wood planks and onto our porch. Her pale gold blonde hair was like a neon symbol in the dark of the night, but the woman next to me blended in as if she were a speck of dust in the grass.

"Come on," She said, grabbing my elbow. "While my sister is denting someone's face in, Agent Hunter is going to grab her, okay?"

I couldn't breathe. "Jason… They killed…" I sobbed.

As I gasped for breath, I felt her thin fingers wiping my tears away.

"I know it's scary, I knew it hurts, and I know you're tired and you want for this to end, but it's only a little further and I promise, they won't be able to hurt you or take anything away from you again, okay?"

I managed to nod, feeling a heartbeat in my chest, and let the woman guide me towards the alley. A man stood there, holding a wooden plank, along with several men on the ground, each with an imprint of a wood pattern on their forehead.

"Go!" The woman ordered him. The wood plank clattered to the ground, and he bolted across the yard as the woman knelt in front of me, folding Nova and me into her arms. "My name is Skye…"

I didn't open my eyes again.


	5. Chapter 5 - Lucy's POV

**For the past hour, I've been going through my old story, and realizing that it got a lot more views and attention then I originally gave it credit for. I'm not going to lie, it makes me a little nervous to think that things may not turn out as well as before, but then I think that things have actually been going quite well, considering that it's been only three days! I might just have the early shyness one can usually get from putting yourself out there on the internet where everyone can see, but I just thank you for taking the time to read my story, because it really does mean a lot! :D**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

As wood splinters all around me, I throw my weight onto the soldier, slamming my elbow into his throat. Using the same hand, I rip the metal helmet off, throwing it out of my way. I raise my hand for the final blow -

And he catches it mid air.

At lightning speed, the soldier pushes off his back into a standing position, pressing me against the wood fence with my dominant arm held tight at my side and his other hand wrapped tightly around my throat.

"Send a message to SHIELD for me," He mutters with a raspy voice. "It's time you guys stop meddling in things - "

"We don't understand?" I finish. "Could you be any more cliche?"

I give him a swift kick to that one place where the sun doesn't shine, rip out my ICER, and pull the trigger.

"Lucy, we've got to go," Hunter shouts over the drone of the quinjet in the alley. He holds Kassandra, heavily sedated, tightly in his arms. "HYDRA's sending more agents, we need to disappear."

I ran towards the fence on the porch, pulled myself onto the edge and swung my legs down to the ground, picking up Skye's gun on the way.

"They're already on their way," He yells as we round the corner, gently handing Kassandra to me. She's startlingly heavy at first, and I don't know why I'm surprised, considering she's eleven. "We have to catch the quinjet as quickly as possible, how fast can you run?"

"Just watch me!" I holler back, already sprinting for the end of the alley.

I saw the shimmer of the small jet speeding towards the dead end. If we didn't catch up, they'd have no choice but to take off and we'd quickly be cornered by HYDRA. Slowly, the jet started to rise from the ground as the cargo ramp lowered where Skye was waiting with open arms.

"HURRY! We're about to hit the air!" She screamed over the noise.

Hunter leapt ahead of me with a burst of energy, quickly snatching Kassandra from me. He soared for the ramp, stumbling towards Skye as she pulled him and Kassandra safely inside.

I wasn't far behind. I took a last few long steps, pushing off the ground with all the strength that I had and leapt for the quinjet. I was so close…

I screamed.

An agonizing pain exploded like a bolt of lightning in my back just as my feet hit the metal. My upper body slipped forward, sweeping my feet out from underneath me and slamming my body into the ramp. My shoes quickly got caught in the gravel below as I scrambled for grip, feeling myself slipping away until Skye and Hunter grasped for my arms, finally pulling me to my feet as the cargo ramp started to close.

My knees scraped the floor as I pushed off with my hands, trying to hold myself up. But the screaming pain spread through my body and I collapsed into Skye, her arm hooked around my waist. I felt a spell of dizziness and an excruciating pain explode through every nerve as Hunter lightly ran his fingers over the wound. I twisted around to look at him, feeling faint at the amount of blood that dripped from his fingertips.

I sat in the corner of the room, watching the twins lying limp in their chairs. My mouth was filled with the sick taste of medicine and my back was soaked with cold water from Skye and Hunter's desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

"How ya doing, bullet lady?" Skye asked, a water bottle in her hand and her hair tied in a loose ponytail.

"Feeling like a lucky ducky, nosy rosie," I smirked as she scooted in next to me.

"How am I a nosy rosie just by asking, 'how ya doing?' to a girl who just got shot?" She asked, vigorously trying to open the bottle.

"Because maybe I don't want to talk about the traumatic experience that is having a bullet lodged in your back, okay?!" I reply. "Here." I said, taking the bottle from her hands and attempting to open it a little less aggressively.

"It's the second time _this month_ that you've been shot."

I looked up dramatically, gazing at the wall with the ghost of fear imprinted on my face (hopefully). "It feels like a new experience every day," I whisper, trying to channel my inner Shakespeare before quickly returning to the water bottle.

"That's my Lucy goosey, making no sensy wensy," Skye sighed. "Here, I'll hold, you twist."

The cap leaves a bright red imprint on my hand, but doesn't budge.

"Oh, grab me something small and pokey!" I said suddenly.

Skye tucked a screwdriver in my hand, and I jabbed at the cap. The metal broke through. (WOOHOO! Finally!)

"Now, we suck," I said, sipping the water from the little hole. I stopped suddenly, realizing what I just said.

The next thing I know I'm choking with laughter and Skye is muttering sarcastically about how mature I can be in between giggles.

I can't help but smile at her reaction. She's been so much more mature than usual lately… Focused and distant, always keeping busy. She doesn't really make as much time for me anymore, except for a few hours every Monday that we spend binge-watching movies.

Even if she's sitting here with me out of concern for my bullet wound, I'm honestly laughing too hard to care about a childish joke and misspoken words. This feeling of immaturity and an ability to forget about everything outside, everything except us, almost feels like home. I try to make it last, but unfortunately, as we learn over and over again, nothing good ever does in this world that we chose to live in.

Those thoughts are suddenly heavy to hold as I glance at the twins. They didn't choose. They didn't choose any of this.


	6. Chapter 6 - Lucy's POV

**Apologies for the slightly dramatic A/N yesterday. Like I said, just a little bit excited. :)**

 **Also, I realize that I'm sort of switching back and forth between past-tense writing and present-tense writing. (Keep in mind, my old writing style was mostly past-tense and my new style is more present-tense) All you guys need to know is that stuff is happening, and I'm obviously great at clarifications. :)**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

"How are the twins doing?" I asked, walking into the lab where Simmons stood, staring at the screen where live footage of the girls sitting in the Cage is displayed. On a slightly smaller screen next to the computer is what looks like monitors for the girl's brain waves and vitals. The brainwave monitor is flat, but two other moving lines and shifting numbers labelled with two different names are constantly in sync.

"I don't know," Simmons sighed. "Their connection is almost blocking us off from seeing any brain activity."

"Should I start talking to them?"

"Oh, I'd be perfectly fine with you going ahead and giving them some reassurance, but Coulson will have to give you permission," Simmons said. "He'll be down here soon to check in; you'll be able to ask him then."

"Cool," I said, then sat on the table, watching the screen.

I expected her to say something more, but instead she returned to looking at a blood sample through her microscope.

"It's awful," I said after a moment. "These girls are just eleven years old, and they have to deal with losing what was like a father to them, plus all this super-secret spy stuff."

"The worst part is they could be stuck with it," Simmons mumbled without looking away. "It's too dangerous for them out there, meaning they'll be stuck here for a long time. They just said goodbye to the only world they knew without knowing it."

I'm slightly startled by her negativity, considering she's normally the most positive person on the team. But nothing's been the same since HYDRA. Coulson's a lot more distant, Fitz is still… Not Fitz, and it feels like even Skye sorta grew up without me over the past few months. The only reason we're holding together is because of promises we made when we joined SHIELD… That we would protect each other. That's what sisters do, right? That's what I did when I took a bullet for Skye in Ian Quinn's basement, and what she did for me when… When she left me behind to go find our dad.

Skye was ready for what we found there, but I certainly wasn't… I wasn't ready for our father to be real. Or for him to be a murderer. A small part of me keeps hoping that it wasn't him, that he had no choice, that he was only trying to protect himself… Or us. But there wasn't any evidence. It's the same dead end that Skye and I always found, just a little darker than last time.

"Agent Simmons," Coulson said, walking up behind me as I turned around. "Bullet lady." He said, nodding towards me. I rolled my eyes. Saw _that_ coming.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I - " I started.

"Yes, you can go talk to them," Coulson interrupted.

"Since when did you become my sister?"

"What?"

"Constantly reading my mind and - "

"Finishing your sentences; I don't know - "

"What's wrong with you," I guessed, then cringed. "Please tell me I didn't get that right!"

"What's wrong with being able to read the director of SHIELD's mind?"

"My apologies, sir, I just think that it's totally CREEPY!" I retort, whirling to face and the door and bolting for it. "I'm - "

"Leaving."

"STOP IT!"


	7. Chapter 7 - Kassandra's POV

The door swung open, and two girls walked in, fighting about... something. Nova, excited to see new visitors, threw herself on them, mouth open and tail wagging. They immediately went silent, quickly smothering Nova with love until they stood up straight and continued their argument from the exact same spot they had paused it. One was young and blonde, the other was older and brunette. Each held an aluminum can of something. Still excited about her new little friends, Nova waddled over to me and plopped herself in my arms. Confused, I stand with her still hanging from my weak grip on her body - despite her immediate attempts to get away - and brain texted Nicole.

" _DO YOU KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE?!"_

" _First of all, back up, they might be... Not good,"_ She braintexted. I obeyed, stumbling backwards into the wall as their attention finally turns to us. Nicole sat in the corner, curled up in a ratty brown blanket and watching the girls carefully. " _Second, the brown haired one is Skye. Third of all, QUIT CALLING IT BRAINTEXTING!"_

" _Okay. I'll just brain… MAIL!"_ I responded.

 _"Thanks, that's so much better._ " Even in my head, I can hear her sarcasticness.

Blonde girl smiles as if greeting an old friend, leaning forward and handing me the can. I don't hesitate to take it, absolutely parched from not having eaten or drank anything in the past few hours. Nicole is a little bit nervous, but eventually takes hers as well. We both crack our cans open and take a sip, and, finding the familiar sizzle of carbonation, quickly take another look at the cans. The labels are all rubbed off, except for the nutritional facts. Blonde girl must have noticed the quizzical look I was wearing.

"Do you like it?" She asked, looking at us both. I briefly nodded, then looked at the ingredients. No poison.

"Awesome," she nodded. "It's just Sprite." She added quickly.

" _Of course there's no poison, you derp!"_ Nicole brainmailed. A frustrated expression flashed across her face.

" _Do not call me a derp. You're the noob lord!"_ I brain tex…

I mean, brain mailed.

"Oh, are you guys complimenting my awesomeness?" Blonde girl asked eagerly. "Thanks, but you haven't seen nothing yet." I resist the urge to laugh at her already extremely large looking ego. Then I realized our mistake. We don't hide our expressions when we're silently screaming at each other.

"Sorry about her," Skye said. "This is Lucy, my sister, and I'm Skye."

"We know your name."

"How?" Skye asked.

"She told me." I responded, a little confused by their lack of memory.

"When did she - " Skye started, then stopped. "Right, sorry. Never dealt with telepathically connected twins before, even in this business." She takes a step a little bit further into the room. "I understand that you guys have questions." Both she and Lucy sit cross-legged on the floor, indicating they would be staying. "We're here to answer them."

An unsettling quiet spreads over the room. We've waited _hours_ for answers, terrified about what was happening outside of these walls, and now the thought of asking… Of learning what had really happened and -

"Who were those men in the yard?" Nicole finally asks, tired of the what ifs bouncing back and forth in our heads. Worries crease her face, fear holding both our bodies still as she asks what we're both hoping. "Are you the good guys?"

"We like to think so," Lucy replies quietly. It was a quick transition from her confident and cheery attitude to this. It's smart, in a way. I like her almost instantly, but her eb "Those men in the yard weren't. It's not a matter of opinion, sadly. It's fact."

"What were they trying to do? Why would they kill Jason?" A tear trails down her cheek, and I feel the walls that I've been building to hide in start to crumble. I shut it in, keeping it all where only me and Nicole can see, keeping my eyes away from the girls' sympathetic faces.

"Those men wanted _you_ ," Skye murmurs softly. "They found out about your abilities somehow, and saw it as an opportunity to do some bad things."

 _Shut up!_

The sharpness in Nicole's echoing voice, startles me.

 _Stop it, Kassandra! He's gone!_

I feel a squeak escape my mouth as I swallow a sob, a waterfall of tears streaming down my face.

 _You can't give up on him, Nicole…_

 _We have to._

"Kassandra…" Lucy's calm, steady voice draws my eyes to her. Her electric blue eyes are endlessly sad, like a child lost in an endless woods. But instead of child, I see something stronger… A sister.

"Jason was one of our own," She begins to explain. "We sent him to adopt you because we knew you needed protection, and something we knew Jason needed as well. However, he refused to take it because he was scared that you would be found. He died loving you and protecting you, and I'm sorry we couldn't get to you sooner. But you're here. And maybe while you're here, you do some good. Get there in time for someone else like you."

"I-I-I miss him…" I stutter, my breaths growing quick and shallow.

"Kassandra, take a breath," Skye says sternly, trying to reassure me.

I rake my hands through my hair. Why is Nicole screaming? Why am I screaming?

She can't.

She can't.

 _I can't._

 _I can't._

 _Shut up!_

 _Help._

 _Lucy, help._

 _Skye, help._

 _Stop it! Stop talking!_

 _I can't._

Nicole is screaming.

 _I'm screaming._

 _It's too dark._

 _Everything is dark._


	8. Chapter 8 - Kassandra's POV

**OLO!**

 **So, I got fifty views on my story yesterday alone! :D**

 **To some that may not seem like a lot, but to me, it is super exciting so I am kinda sorta fangirling about it. Thank you so so much for taking the time to click on my story and actually sort of read it! (I say sort of cause a lot of people apparently stopped reading after seeing my Author's Note XD)**

 **PS: I am starting to reach a part in my story where the quality of the writing/storyline starts to go down, so I will probably be more intensely editing for a little bit. That may involve switching some events in the timeline around, or changing an event entirely, but either way, I'm going to try and give this old story a bit of a new twist. :)**

My head hurt.

I didn't want to have to open my eyes out of pure exhaustion, but curiosity killed the cat, or whatever, and I needed some pain killer.

The whole world was fuzzy at first, with Skye's face blurred next to me and her voice being drowned out by the ringing in my ears, but with every breath in and breath out, things slowly started to focus, until I could finally understand what she was saying: "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, my voice getting caught in my throat. "I don't… I don't remember what - "

"You had a panic attack."

Those words alone make me sit up straight.

This isn't home. This is their weird, honeycomb box that they put us in, and when I say us I obviously mean me since Nicole no longer sits with her worried face and her tattered blanket in the corner. All at once, everything comes back and I feel the heaviness of Jason on my shoulders, willing me to go back to sleep where I can't remember a thing.

"Has this happened before?" Her voice is full of curiosity, but I can hear the soft touch of concern with each word.

"Yes," I sigh, unable to close my eyes again. There isn't a way to stop feeling the way I do anymore, no walls to build, no extra space to throw it in. I can't even talk to Nicole in this mess.

"Where is - "

"After your mental breakdown, her body started to decay, while yours regenerated at a startlingly fast rate," Skye explained, trying to keep her voice calm and level. I freeze at the word decay, a word so cruel and agonizing used so casually, as if she watches the miracle of healing and the disaster of a painful death everyday. "We managed to stop the process and disconnect you temporarily with an electrostatic shock, giving us enough time to move Nicole to a new location where you'd both be safe - "

"From each other," I finished, my voice drenched in misery.

Skye shifts slightly closer to me. "You said this has happened before. What, exactly, occurred before and after the experience?"

I take a deep breath, trying to collect every scrap of detail left in those memories. "It was a couple months after we had moved in with Jason at the RV park," I began, thoughts starting to clear as I spoke. "We couldn't have been happier with him or Nova… Until one day we lost her on the other side of the park. We spent hours looking for her, but there was nothing to find.

"Jason was sleeping on the couch by the time we got home, and by then we were both absolutely miserable about what had happened. I remember laying in my bunk, writing in my journal and trying to clear my head to see what we could do. The next thing I knew I was sick and aching and crying silently in my bed, just tearing myself apart over Nova. By the time I finally snapped out of it and went to the living room to tell Jason what happened, Nicole was sitting with Nova and Jason at the kitchen table, and just like that, the feeling disappeared."

"It may have something to do with the emotions you may have been feeling," Skye suggested.

It's a hopeful thought for a moment. If I can find some way to smile and be happy, I'll never have to worry about hurting Nicole again.

But the hope doesn't last. Nova was found that day. Jason's never coming back.

For a moment, Skye can see what I'm thinking.

"This organization - SHIELD - is built on helping people like you and Nicole," Skye reminds me. "Remember what Lucy said: if you choose to stay, not only will you be safe from those men in the backyard, but you can also use your abilities to do good for the people affected by them."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you could be a SHIELD agent," Skye smiles, genuinely excited about the idea. "Not right away, but - with a lot of training and practice - you could end up as a doctor, like Simmons, an engineer or mechanic like Fitz or Mack, or a field agent like Lucy and I." She leans a little closer. "What do you say?"

The idea is tempting… Growing up on graphic novels and fairy tales gave me an eye for an origin story, and this definitely qualified.

But what would really happen if I stay? If I dedicate myself to an organization that I barely know? An organization left in ruins by lies and death. Who's to say that traitors don't lie within them now?

My heart is saying yes. A chance to not only have a new, safe life here but the ability to help people who really need this would be amazing. My head, however, is filled with what-ifs and worries, fears that slowly eat away at my hope.

But then the worst, and maybe the best thought I could be thinking right now crosses my mind - _what do I have to lose?_

I look at Skye, allowing every hope and fear I have to come out in two words:

"I'm in."


	9. Writer's Block!

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted much in the past couple days. I'm having a little bit of writer's block, so chapter's are becoming a bit difficult to write/edit.**

 **Hopefully, I'll be able to get two or three chapters out later today, just to make up for it, but like I said earlier, the quality of the story is starting to go down a little bit and it's not as interesting.**

 **Anyways, just wanted to let you guys know, so thank you so much for reading and I'll get posting! :)**


	10. Chapter 9 - Lucy's POV

**So... This is what I meant by I have commitment issues.**

 **Once again, I'm really sorry I've been slacking a little bit when it comes to posting. I've got something in the works for another online writing site that I'm trying to pick up on since I only have until the end of the month to write it, so I may just start posting every few days just until I can finish that other project.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy! :)**

"Quick question," Kassandra panted out, her words in sync with every step she took.

"Do you guys have cable?" Nicole finished, picking up speed on the treadmill next to her.

I responded by clicking a button on the tablet in my hand, activating the flat screen in front of them.

"Thank you!" They chorused, returning their focus to their heart rate appearing on the short screen between them.

Skye appears behind me, wearing knee-length grey leggings and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The girls wear similar outfits with their dirty blonde held back in french braids that they insisted on doing for each other. (Eleven-year-old girls. Why am I surprised?)

"It's about time we get the punching bags out," She says, glancing down at my tablet where the girls' vitals are being displayed.

"They're ready," I insist, returning my vision to the treadmills. "Their bodies react better to physical activity than the average adult."

"Get them ready," Skye nods, turning towards the other side of the gym. "I'll get the pads."

Quickly hitting a couple buttons on my tablet, I watch as the treadmills slowly pull to a stop. The twins keep pace with the treadmills until they're gasping for breath and chugging every last drop of water from their water bottles. I place the tablet on one of the treadmill handles, sliding off my thin black cardigan and throwing my hair back in a ponytail as the girls join Skye in the middle of the gym. Quickly tossing me a pair of boxing gloves to both of them and helping them tighten the gloves on their wrists, Skye gestures for Nicole to join her while Kassandra joins me.

"A good start to learning martial arts is kickboxing," I explain. "You learn basic punches, kicks, blocks, and dodges, and from there we can move into more technical things, using skills like karate. Sound good?"

Kassandra nods, and we begin. I lift my hand, now fitted into a boxing pad, calling out the names of punches as she strikes, stopping occasionally to correct her stance or demonstrate the motions. Every time she makes a wrong move, she closes her eyes and lets out a short sigh, then turns her head back to me. Every time she does that, I begin lightly tapping her head, reminding her to keep her eyes open and her hands blocking the face.

We carry on for an hour, taking five minute breaks between ten minute rounds. Both Kassandra and Nicole are glowing with sweat and their knees, elbows and feet are red from hitting the pads. But somehow, after a quick sip of water and tightening their gloves, both girls are aching to carry on with the pads. However, Skye and I insist each time that they catch their breath and do a bit more stretching before we continue.

However, as important as their rest is, that's not the whole reason.

Each time the girls break, they sit on the bench in the corner silently, "brain-mailing" each other. That gives us the chance to check the girls vitals, as well as gives Fitz and Simmons the opportunity to fine tune their devices to try and catch the synchronized electrical pulses that are their brainwaves.

"We came up with a theory that they may have identical masses of neurons in their brains," Simmons explained to me when I asked. "And that the electrical pulses somehow expand to each other's neurons where the electrical pulses are originally created."

At that point, Simmons was trying desperately to dumb it down for me - since I had always managed to fail at science - so I let the whole situation go and carried on.

It's not a lie. We aren't doing this to hurt them. We're doing it to find out more. To figure out what really happened when the girls were hurt in the Cage and to make sure it can never happen again.

Every night, we take the girls to opposite sides of the base where we can monitor them on their own, trying to find the electrical pulses when they aren't completely in sync. Even then, their brainwaves are somehow undetectable.

"The question is why," Simmons sighs exasperatedly after a week. The only people making progress were the twins, and even Fitz felt like hauling out the punching bag. "Every single living thing has an adaptation or an ability that is key to their survival."

"Who's saying that this was meant to happen?" I asked, dropping myself into the seat next to her. She sats in front of the monitor where the security footage from the girls' rooms was being displayed, drumming her fingers on the desk as I spoke. "They were born with a sick, dying mother, grew up in a strange environment that very few people have to endure, and the fact that they only manage to use their abilities seven years later sort of starts to imply that they weren't supposed to end up that way. Who says that they adapted to it?"

"I know, I know," Simmons said, returning her focus to the monitor. "It's just that their ability can be so difficult to understand without those brainwaves that it feels as though plain survival is the only reason for that adaptation." She turned to me. "The twins have never told you anything? About what could have happened that day in the orphanage?"

"Only that they had awful nightmares the night before," I reply, following her gaze. My stomach drops at the sight of a small box in the corner of the screen. "Simmons…"

"Lucy, I need to tell you something," Simmons blurted, shoving herself away from the table. "Fitz and I have come up with a few more theories and Coulson - "

"SIMMONS!" I hollered, snapping her attention to me. "The girls brainwaves are - "

"Active," Simmons gasped, slamming her elbows onto the desk and nearly pressing her face into the screen. "This is amazing! Our theory about the expansion of the electrical pulses was correct - "

"Meaning that they're connected right now!" I mutter, jumping out of my chair.

"No, no, no," Simmons mumbles nervously, beginning to rapidly hit the keyboard as begin to bolt for the exit. "Lucy!" She calls, stopping me in my tracks. "The only reason we keep them disconnected during the night is that night terrors may cause them to have another panic attack, and from these brainwaves - "

I scrape the switch on my earpiece on as I sprint down the hall. "This is Agent Lucy reporting from the lab, I just received word from Agent Simmons that the Eclaise twins are beginning to expand their telepathic connection and may experience another panic attack if we can't cut off their connection," I yelp into the earpiece. "I need all field agents on the South side of the base to secure Kassandra and begin the transfer, I'm closing in on Nicole's location, does anyone copy…" As I round the corner that faces Nicole's cell, my voice is silenced.

"Nicole… What have you done…"


	11. Chapter 10 - Lucy's POV

**So... I suck.**

 **I am so sorry about not posting for the past little bit! The truth is I've been working on a story for a site called Wattpad and their writing** **competition** **,** **The Wattys.** **It's called Land of The Lost Kids, and I've been devoting all my time to getting at least ten thousand words before the deadline, so I would really appreciate it if you went over and checked it out!**

 **Anyways, since I'm opening up to this new site, I'm going to be bouncing back and forth a little bit. I still hope to post at least two chapters a week on Fanfiction** ** _and_** **Wattpad, and with life starting to get a little busy, I'm going to have to keep things sort of tightly scheduled.**

 **Whatever. Hope you enjoy! :)**

Several thick, lifeless figures litter the ground outside Nicole's room. By the looks of it, they're our best agents…

I feel the brush of hot air on the back of my neck, startling a reflex waiting inside me to life. Springing off my legs, I do an aerial to my right, feeling my toe clip skin and bone and landing on my feet to see Nicole sprawled on the floor beside me, clutching her shoulder. Her face seems twisted and cold, empty. This isn't her.

She rips her hand away, revealing torn black fabric in her long sleeved shirt. Scrambling on the polished floor, Nicole rushes to her feet, leaping over agents and sprinting down the hallway with more speed than I've ever seen from her.

"NICOLE!" I yelled, dashing down the hall after her. "Nicole, stop!" A scientist came out of the room ahead of her, noticing the epic chase immediately. He grabbed her arm; Nicole responded by hitting him across the face, pushing him unconscious to the floor.

 _Woah._ Nicole glances quickly my way, sweat glistening on her forehead before turning on her heel and carrying on.

 _Kassandra must be telling her where she is,_ I thought, heaving in deep breaths. I almost had her.

I reached out, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her to my chest. She thrashed, struggling as she screamed, "KASSY! HELP!" when suddenly with unimaginable force she ripped free of my grasp and elbowed me across the face.

I leaned back against the wall, shocked as blood dripped from my nose. Nicole grabbed me by the elbows, throwing me across the hall head first into the wall, and with a hard thud I hit the floor, my body screaming in pain as her footsteps pounded away. The world fell into darkness.

"Coulson," I coughed. "Skye... Stop her..."

And everything was gone.


	12. Chapter 11 - Lucy's POV

The black spots lining my vision slowly began to fade. My room was still mostly blobs of color, but I manage to make out Skye's face beside me.

"How ya doin, bullet lady?" Skye smiled.

"Feeling like a lucky ducky," I smiled back. "Where's Nicole?"

"She's being moved," She sighed.

"What?"

"Not out of SHIELD," Skye said quickly. "But deeper into the facility. She and Kassandra are talking, but they shouldn't be, not yet. Their connection is growing too strong." Her face is quickly drenched with guilt. "I should have been there."

"Skye, there was nothing you could have done," I insisted.

"I could have been there for backup, and you wouldn't be like this!"

"Really, I'm okay!"

"I wouldn't call having a concussion okay."

"Wow," I muttered, the world a bit fuzzy. "How did she do that, anyway?"

"Coulson's trying to figure it out right now," She replied. At that moment, the door opened and the director himself walked in.

"Nicole wants to see you," He said. "I thought you two should be the ones to decide if she does."

"No," Skye and I say simultaneously.

"Alright," He nods. "Skye, Simmons is needing a bit of help with the twins."

"Alright, I'll be back, Lucy Goosey," She smiled at me, standing up to leave. "I'll bring you some lunch and a cupcake."

"Kay..." I said, watching the blobs of color become even blurrier.

"Get better," Coulson said as he left. And everything disappeared.

The smell of grilled cheese pulled me out of my sleep, sitting me up straight. Skye had a plate with a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon, chocolate milk and a cupcake all organized perfectly on it. Simmons trailed behind her with a first-aid kit.

"I'm just going to touch up your scars, make sure they're alright," She said. "We also need a bit more of an explanation than, 'She threw me into the wall.'"

"Well, for starters," I began to explain. "She was fast. Faster than I've ever seen her when she's on the treadmill."

"Keep eating," Skye commanded. I picked up the cupcake. She smacked it out of my hands and onto the floor, smearing chocolate and icing on the carpet. "I'll get you another one. Eat your real food."

"Also, she managed to pick me up and hurl me into the wall hard enough that I was knocked unconscious," I say, waving my grilled cheese sandwich around without taking a bite. "She's eleven! Whose only been to three physical education classes her whole life!"

"Fitz and I came up with a theory that Kassandra and Nicole may be able to connect physically as well as mentally," Simmons suggested, her voice wavering slightly. "Maybe Kassandra transferred some of her strength to Nicole. It _would_ explain the sudden drop in her vitals during Nicole's escape."

She ran a final thumb over the scar on my cheekbone, then gave a quick nod. "And there you are!" She said with a bright smile. "Make sure you stay off your feet for a while, until you can fully recover."

"Will do," I said. "Thanks, Simmons."

"Manners!?" Skye gaped at me. "Who are you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Ha, ha," I said sarcastically.

"Okay, Lucy," Simmons said, still smiling. "You get your rest; I'll come back in a few hours to see how you're doing."

"Bye-bye!" I call after her, my voice high and squeaky like a child. I stare at Skye expectantly.

"And _why_ don't I have my cupcake?" I ask finally. Skye through her arms around me.

"Welcome back, Lucy!" She says with fake happiness.

"Seriously, cupcake," I clap my hands commandingly. "Let's go, let's go!"

And Skye is gone to retrieve my cupcake.


	13. Chapter 12 - Nicole's POV

**Apologies, I'm really late, blah blah blah, but LOOK! There's a boring chapter and it's Christmas and I'm excited!**

 **I swear, my New Years resolution is to start posting more.**

 **Anyways, I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter, and I'm ABSOLUTELY going to start getting back into this story ASAP. I'm having more ideas, a bit** **more free time, and plenty of inspiration for more stories from the current AoS season to come! :)**

 **Anyways, sorry it's so late! Hope you enjoy! :)**

I don't want to leave this place. Going to the gym reminds me of Lucy, and she's the last thing I want to think about right now. Coulson brought an older woman named April (I think) to exercise with me, but I refused. She tried to smile, but she seemed like one of those super strict teachers no one likes. I had one of those.

I stay in my new bedroom, which was more of a bedroom than a hospital room this time without the hospital equipment crammed into it. I color, read, draw, whatever it takes to forget about this. _I'm grounded,_ I tell myself. _I'm finally getting what I deserved for losing Nova._ Convincing yourself of peace isn't easy, and at the time, just made me feel worse for trying to act like nothing was wrong. Plus, I'm a terrible liar.

I shove the books and markers and pens scattered over the bed into a tangled pile on the floor, rubbing my eyes. Sleep comes annoyingly easy to me, although blood-stained fingers, torn sleeves and falling bodies all moved alive as ever beneath my eyes, some attached to Lucy and others attached to Jason. However, though I managed to close my eyes every now and then, my sleeping schedule was very back and forth, and the constant yellow glow shining on me and the lack of windows and clocks made it impossible to tell what time it was.

When I figure out it had been over a week since the incident, I instantly start whining. Seven days. One-hundred sixty-eight hours. Ten-thousand and eighty minutes, six-hundred and four thousand eight-hundred seconds, whatever seems the most exhausting, and no one told me anything about anyone. Not Lucy, not Kassy... For all I knew, they were both dead because of me.

Watching the markers clattering to the floor and bringing a hand to my forehead, I imagine each slap of the plastic like the tick of a clock, wondering how many seconds had gone by since Lucy had fallen to the floor and hadn't gotten up.

Why did I hit her?

Why did I run?

I don't know. I will never know. They might be able to see into my brain but they can't see what was _in_ it. And neither will I.

 _I don't remember._

It sounded like an excuse. As if I left something shattered on the floor and wasn't willing to accept the responsibility for breaking it. So I didn't say anything at first. Eventually I had no choice but to confess to my pathetic memory, to appear to be a child refusing to bear the weight of what I did to them.

But I was feeling all of it. Like I was swimming in a sea of words and images from other people's mouths, and the only reason I knew they were telling the truth was the awful looks on their faces, and Lucy's body on the ground far behind me when I finally woke up from my nightmare.

Yeah. I was sleep-walking. That was an even worse excuse, even if it was true.

If it was all a dream, why am I still cleaning her blood from my skin?

I look at my markers on the floor, suddenly glaring at them as if it was all their fault that I had something to clean up. And as if I was actually mad that I finally had something somewhat productive to do.

I pick up my markers, make my bed, stack my coloring books and markers all neatly. I then throw off the cushy comforter, flinging my art supplies to the floor, and fall asleep for what might be hours, seconds, or days. Kassy is the one to wake me up, I am the one to scare her away, and I do it all over again.

Sleep. Clean. Color. Scream.

Sleep.

Clean.

Color.

Scream.


End file.
